The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lavender plant, botanically known as Lavandula stoechas L., and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Bee Coolxe2x80x99.
The new Lavender is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Kulnura, New South Wales, Australia. The new Lavender originated from a cross made by the Inventor of two unnamed proprietary selections of Lavandula stoechas L., not patented. The new Lavender was selected by the Inventor in 1998 on the basis of its compact and freely flowering habit. Plants of the new Lavender are more compact and more freely flowering than plants of the parental selections.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken at Kulnura, New South Wales, Australia, has shown that the unique features of this new Lavender are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
Plants of the cultivar Bee Cool have not been observed under all possible environmental condtitions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, daylength, and fertility level without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Bee Coolxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Bee Coolxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Upright plant habit.
2. Dense and bushy plant form.
3. Vigorous growth habit.
4. Gray green-colored leaves.
5. Light lavender-colored flower corollas with showy white-colored terminal flower bracts.
Plants of the cultivar Bee Cool can be compared to plants of the Lavandula stoechas L. cultivar Marshwood. However in side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Kulnura, New South Wales, Australia, plants of the cultivar Bee Cool and the cultivar Marshwood differ in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Lavender have weaker lateral branches than plants of the cultivar Marshwood.
2. Plants of the new Lavender have shorter leaves than plants of the cultivar Marshwood.
3. Plants of the new Lavender have gray green-colored leaves whereas plants of the cultivar Marshwood have green-colored leaves.
4. Plants of the new Lavender have smaller terminal flower bracts than plants of the cultivar Marshwood.
5. Plants of the new Lavender have white-colored terminal flower bracts whereas plants of the cultivar Marshwood have light lavender-colored terminal bracts.
6. Plants of the new Lavender have shorter peduncles than plants of the cultivar Marshwood.